Toy cannon



O 24, 1950 J. l. WHITE ET AL 2,527,284

TOY CANNON Filed April 12, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 z' Z 26 3 Z6 f 29: 30 Z INVENTOR.

JOHN I.WHITE av-ni ROBERT BMOSSMAN WP #CLM 37 ATTORNEY J. I. WHITE ETAL 2,527,284

TOY CANNON Oct. 24, 1950 Filed April 12, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N VEN TOR.

4 JOHN I. wm'rz BY ROBERT B.MOS5MAN 4% A'T'TORNEY the top and bottom panels.

Patented Oct. 24,

my oANNo'N John I; nd It-then B. Mbssmefi, indian' l apolis, Ind., as signors, by mesneassr nmenr to eorneupubnier Electric Corporation, South PlainfielmN;:J.,'a-"corporation of Delaware Application April 12, 1946, Serial No. 661,711

The present invention relates tqi'mprovementsin toys and more particularlyto improvements in toy guns, primarily of the cannon type.

It is one of the objects of the invention to provide an electromagnetically operated toy cannon which may be connected toany suitable elec tric lighting circuitand' which may be caused to operate by the closing of a hand control switch, the closing of which will cause the projectile to be ejected from the gun.

A further object of the invention is to provide a toy cannon electromagnetically o erated of the repeater type, wherein a plurality of" projectiles may be loaded in the gun and the projectiles serially ejected from the-gun by the repeated ope.- ation of a control switch.

:For the purpose of disclosing the" invention,

an embodiment thereof is illustrated in the 'acc'ompa'nying drawings, in which:

' Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a toy cannon embod'ying the invention;

Fig. 2 is arear elevation of the toy cannon ern=v bodying our invention, with the rear cover of the; casing removed; j-

' Fig. 3 is an elevation ofv the type of bullet. or

projectile used;

Fig. 4 is a. longitudinal, sectional view. of. the cannon and operating mechanism therefor; and;

Fig; 5 is a schematicview of the circuit. arev rangement. 1

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated, there is provided acasing comprisinga front panel I and a rear panel 2, together with a, top panel 3 and a bottom panel 4 and side panels l2.- The parts aresoarranged as to provide a rectangular casing for the operating mechanism of the cannon.

The barrel I of the" cannon extends through a front openingin a frontpanel I, the barrel bemg tapei'ed' towards the rear and; then partially a claims. (01. 124- 1) tion by. suitable scre s. or bolts 13, which pass,

through the top'and bottom panels and into the flanges H. g

The rear portion 9' of the barrel 1, at its top, is" cut away as at M, to provide a feed opening sufiie ciently wide to accommodate the projectile l5, which when dropped through this feed opening: will drop into the hollow barrel and substantially fill the same. For feeding projectiles through opening 14, there is provided a magazine I 6 comprising a substantially rectangular casing open" at its front and having inturned flanges l1. These flanges stop short of the top ofthe ma azine 16 to provide a full opening 8 to permit the feeding into the magazine ofthe projectiles. The arrangement is such that the depth of the magazine- [6 from front to back accommodates the rear end of the projectile l5 and the projectile is provided with an annular groove l9, i'n'td which the flanges lTfit. These flanges l1 do-not extend to the bottom of the magazine, but stop short ofthe bottom of the magazine sufficiently to substantially clear the top of the bottommost-pro jectile. The projectiles are stacked one on top of the other, the bottommost projectile resting in the cavity of the barrel 1 and the remaining pro-- jectiles'being supported one on top of the other: above this bottommost projectile. As thebottommost projectile is-ejected 'throug-hthe barrel, upon" cut off to provide a shoulder 8. The rear portion 9 of the barrel extendsthrough the front panel and abuts against the rear panel 2. The rear abutting end of the barrel is secured to the rear panel 2 by suitable screws 9'. The front panel I has inturnedtop and bottom flanges H), which telescope the top and bottom panels 3 and 4 and are preferably spot welded to the top and bottom panels 3 and 4. The rear panel 2' likewise has inturned top and bottom flanges l I, which telescope The side panels l2 are in practice made continuous with the top and bottom panels, so that there is provided a rectangular casing closed by the front and rear panels 2. The rear panels 2 are secured in posithrough the top.

its clearance from beneath the next succeeding: projectile, the stack above will drop down to insert another projectile in the barrel.. To prevent the projectile immediately-above the one in the barrel from being pushed forward by its frictional engagement with the bottommost' projectile, we provide'a'stop'inthe'form of a down-.- turned flange 20. 1

For supporting the magazine in position, ears. 2| are struck out from the two sides of the mage azine, which ears are secured to the topofthe; casing bysuitable screws: The striking up Ofj the structure zilfrom the material of the top leaves a sufi'icientopening: in the top for the forward-portion of the projectile to pass downwardly 1 The-projectile is; ejected from the barrelthrough the mediumof anelectromagnetically operated ejector. This ejectorcomprises a pairof; parallel strips 2l their tops being provided with a lip z'z'ror engaging the rear end of the projectile, which strips operate in a longitudinal slot 23 in the bottom of the rear portion 9 of the barrel. This slot, while being wide enough to accommodate the ejector, is so narrow that a projectile cannot drop'therethrough. At a point beauzmse i 30, one end 3| of which is locked into one of the side arms 24. The spring is wound around the" pivot pin 25 and its opposite end bears upon the bottom 21 of the support so that the spring is biased in a direction to move the ejector in its retracted position.

For moving the ejector forward or in an ejec-j tion direction, there is provided a solenoid com-' prising a relatively stationary core 32 having a rivet head 33 which is riveted to the front panel I. Surrounding this stationary core 32 is a winding 33' and operating withinflthe winding 33' is a plunger 34 pivotally connected 'at 35 between the two arms 24'24, so that upon the closingof the circuit of the coil 33', the plunger 34 will be drawn into the coil 33', in the usual manner of a solenoid operating electromagnet and with such rapidity that the top of the ejector striking the projectile in the barrel 1 will eject the projectile with considerable force. As soon as the circuit of the electromagnet is opened, the spring 3 0 will retract the ejector, permitting another projectile to drop into position to be elected.

The structure above described may be mounted in any suitable manner and as illustrated, the mounting comprises a pair of side members 36 suitably spaced by spacer blocks 31. These side members have removable pivot pins 38 extending therethrough and through the sides I 2 of the casing, so that the structure is swingably supported between the side members of the support; j The circuit through the winding 33 is controlled by a suitable push button switch 39 which may be maintained in normal open position by any suitable means, such; as a spring or the like, and will be closed upon the pushing of the but: ton.

The arrangement of the structure is such that; the repeated ejection of projectiles takes place.

asrapidly as the operator can manipulate the switch 39 to open and close the solenoid circuit. We claim as our invention:

. 1. .In a toy cannon, in combination, a hollow elongated barrel having an opening in the top of said barrel adjacent and spaced forwardly of the rear end of said barrel and of sufiicient width to receive a projectile, and having beneath said opening, in the lower part of the barrel, an elongated slot of less width than the diameter of a projectile deposited in said barrel through said top opening and extending from the rear of said barrel to a point beneath the forward end of said projectile receiving slot, a magazine disposed barrel through said lower slot and normally retracted to' a position to the rear of the deposit position of a projectile, and a solenoid supported in front of said projector lever having a movable core pivotally connected with said lever at a point below the center point of said lever, the stroke of the projecting side of said lever being at least equal to the length of the projectile when deposited in said barrel said lever having a rearward extension partially closing when in its projected position at least a portion of the projectile receiving opening whereby when a projectile is ejected by the movement of said lever the next succeeding projectile is prevented from completely dropping into the barrel until the lever has been moved into its retracted position.

2.,In a toy cannon, in combination, a hollow elongated barrel adapted to receive a projectile having an opening on its top near its breech through which a projectile may be dropped and having an elongated slot on its under side near its breech, a lever projector having its upper end operating in said elongatedslot and having its lower end bifurcated, a, pivotal mountingfor the lower end of said lever, and a solenoid stationar ily mounted in front of said lever having a, mov able core straddled by the bifurcated ends ofsaid lever'arm and pivotally connected thereto,

and means for retracting said arm in one direction.

3. In a toy cannon, in combination, a casing including a front and a rear wall, an elongated barrel having spaced apart from its rear end an annular flange, the rear end of said barrel being,

projected into said casing through an opening in the front wall thereof, means for securing the rear end of said barrel to the rearwall of the casing, the top of said barrel having an opening, therein through which, a projectile may 1 be.

passed, a magazine supported on the top of said casing and having a, delivery opening coinciding with an opening in the top of said casing,.supporting a plurality of projectiles in stacked relation and delivering said stacked projectiles through said magazine opening into the barrel through said barrel top opening, a projector lever pivotally supported in the bottom of said casing and having its upper end projecting throughan said lever and means for retracting saidlever in.

one direction. 1

- JOHN I. WHITE-.-

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of thispatent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS ROBERT -B. -MQSSMANQ Smith et ll. I Mar. 9, 1943- 

